Satellite-tracked turtle released for research

BRUNEI released its first satellite-tracked Olive Ridley turtle into the ocean at Meragang Beach yesterday to determine its migration route and inter-nesting habitat and the foraging/feeding ground of the adult female turtle.

The project is conducted by the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) for Asean countries and the study is administered by the Japanese Trust Fund Programme of the SEAFDEC-Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD) based in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

According to Senior Fisheries Assistant, Hariel Hj Simpul, Olive Ridley turtles are quite common in the country, which makes it ideal to conduct research on them.

"The set up of the satellite device was done two days ago and it is attached with a special glue and covered with fibreglass on the shell of the turtle," he said.

According to Hariel, the turtle was initially caught by a fisherman in Jerudong and was duly handed over to the department. He went on to say that the turtle suited the project as they needed one that came from the wild and not a homebred one.

By tracking the turtle, it can help confirm the breeding places, he said.

An expert from SEAFDEC-MFRDMD, Syed Abdullah Syed Kadir said through the tracking, they will then locate and manage the breeding grounds to protect the turtle and its breeding area.

"If the turtle breeds somewhere on shared international waters, we would need the cooperation of neighbouring countries to protect it," he said.

Another expert from SEAFDEC-MFRDMD, Dr Osamu Abe said that they will check on the route everyday to find the route the turtle is on.

"The satellite transmitter only lasts until the battery runs out, which is around 14 months. After that, the only hope to re-trace it is if a fisherman catches it and returns it to us," Dr Osamu said.

Hariel stressed that the turtle tag is BN179-N180 and advised any fisherman who finds it or any other turtle to return it to the Fisheries Department.

The department's head, Ranimah Hj Abdul Wahab, who was present to witness the ceremony, said that this is the first time such a project has been done.

"The turtle lives as long as 35 to 50 years and we hope to collect as much data as we can. The Olive Ridley turtle comes back in 35 years to nest," she explained, adding that the project is a regional one and other countries have been doing it since three years ago.

Ranimah also stressed that anyone who finds the turtle or any other turtles to return them back to the department.

According to a statement from the department, other programmes conducted with SEAFDEC-MFRDMD is the implementation of the conservation and management of the Turtle Programme in Brunei.

The programme entails a turtle-tagging programme which started in 1999, and tissue sampling for the DNA study of the Hawksbill turtle (another critically endangered species) in Brunei which was conducted in 2006.

The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) is an endangered species with one of the most extraordinary nesting habits in the natural world. (GDN1)

The Brunei Times